Two young boys living in an institution are caught in crossfire at the outset of the Irish rebellion …one boy is protected by a British soldier, while his friend is used as a human shield. Each will escape the institution, face the pain of emigration, and become a fugitive from justice while trying to build a new life. One will cross the Irish Sea to join the British army, twice; the other joins the Republicans, crosses the Atlantic and tries to settle in America. Throughout all this, they remain friends. Will they find the courage to follow their dreams despite one setback after another? Each will travel the globe in different ways before both their lives entwine around a troubled family in a remote corner of northern England - how does an ordinary working man raise six daughters while taking care of his increasingly crazy wife? And as a world war rages around them, who will survive amidst the chaos of Dunkirk and the battle of the Atlantic? And after the war, when the survivors meet amidst crisis and tragedy, one of the daughters must now choose between her close-knit family and the man she truly loves... This is a tale of two Irish 'children of independence' as they come of age and face one crisis after another; and of the people they meet and come to love. The struggles and the resilience of ordinary people in the era between and during the wars forms a backdrop for an action packed and very unusual story - much of which is based on real events.

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Review

Professor Alan Carr, University College Dublin: "A coming of age novel with a difference - what makes this an exceptionally memorable novel is his empathy for his characters and his thoughtful storytelling - a masterpiece." Anita Atkinson, Editor, The Weardale Gazette: "The advertising blurb cannot do it justice. This is the most gripping and memorable story I have read - I thoroughly recommend it to everyone." Chris Lloyd, the Northern Echo: " - weaves a dramatic story from his wife's family, about the strange secrets of life during the Irish troubles, with other exciting tales from the second world war era - " John Foster, BBC Radio Tees: " - an amazing book - a fascinating story" Elizabeth Taylor, Librarian: "Describes the journey of two Irish lads from the trouble torn Ireland of the 1920s to the end of the Second World War; plus, the decisions they must make in loyalty and love. A great read for book groups."

About the Author

Ian had a productive and well-respected career as a child psychologist before writing fiction. He wrote two books about children and families, worked as a trainer for Newcastle University and represented his professional group at a national level. But most important, he spent twenty years helping children and their families deal with trauma, illness and other dilemmas. Hearing the secret lives of others, listening to their internal worlds, thoughts and feelings, and seeing how these impact upon a person's life and external world teaches you a lot about life. And learning how to put the heart of the matter into words is pretty useful for a writer, too.

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By a new writer, this is a tribute to the generation who were young in WW2 - which includes my parents! The book features two young irish lads who have to leave their troubled homeland - for different reasons. The action is fast-moving with the need to cross the water. Adventures in the north of England and America, hardships, romances, wartime service in the Merchant Navy and the British army in India, before either can find a settled new life. Their friendship endures across their separations and the narrative of their lives, threaded together, keeps going providing great interest. The characters are vividly portrayed with an immediacy that is very refreshing, as the book is written entirely in the present tense. It's very well researched too. Seems to speak from lived experience. A great read Ian, I am proud to know you!!

A thoroughly great novel from beginning to end and, certainly, for anyone who has an interest in Irish history then this is a definite read! The story takes one through the reality of what two young boys had to experience in their childhood and the impact and affect it had on them throughout their adult lives. Each of their narratives is intertwined with searching, adventure, love, hurt and all that life's journey brings along the way. I really enjoyed the author's ability to tell the story in a spirit of gentleness and compassion as it weaved its way between Ireland, England and the continents of North America and India and enabled the reader to appreciate how two children who witnessed such trauma grew into adulthood.

This sprawling novel follows the lives of two young men, struggling to come to terms with their faith, identity and the love of both their homeland and the people they meet on their respective journeys. Poignantly set against a backdrop of the Troubles in Ireland and the Second World War, many of the themes in the book are paralleled by world events today. As the title of the book suggests, the young protagonists’ stories flow with the rivers, seas and oceans of the world, crossing the vast expanses of the globe while exploring the entirety of the soul.

The book is written in lean, realist prose that lends itself well to storytelling - which the selfless style of the author excels at. There are elements of thriller, romance, tragedy and humour, all sewn together with strong historical accuracy: adding to the realism of the characters and their intertwining, expansive stories.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, despite my initial misgivings about the subject matter (I wouldn't normally read about conflict). It is owing to the author’s success in weaving just the right amount of aspiration with tragedy that allows this tale to say as much about life as it does about war.

Opening with a dramatic scene depicting two young Irish boys narrowly escaping death in the tumultuous years following the 1916 Easter Rising, this novel develops into an epic account of lives lived during the first half of the twentieth century. Thoroughly researched and written with eloquence and skill that offers an interesting insight into the past, Crossing the Water follows the lives of Fons and Pat as they struggle to grow up in a world of uncertainities and peril. Both main characters are engaging, as is the Hardy family, in particular Maggie, who join the story part way through the narrative and the plot weaves together the lives of these three protagonists whilst also allowing each of them to be involved in their own personal dramas and tragedies. Evocative descriptions litter the text, bringing landscapes as disparate as Wearsale, rural Ireland and sub tropical India vividly to readers. Lost loves and narrow escapes, guilt and madness all contribute to a narrative that ranges far and wide in both scope and setting, perhaps a little too widely at times. I did feel that there was enough material in this novel for it to have been three separate books, one focused on Fons and his exploits in India, one covering Pat's time as a merchant seaman during the Second World War and another exploring Maggie and the crisis that rips her rural family life apart. Nevertheless, the author has, for the most part, managed to successfully create and tell three moving stories of the lives of young people struggling to make their way in a world constantly changing. If you like epic fiction you will thoroughly enjoy this novel.